Taft High senior Mitchell Emberson placed second in an essay contest sponsored by the 9th District of the Veterans of Foreign Wars titled: "Is the Constitution still relevant?"

He received $25 and a plaque, and yes, the Constitution is still relevant, Emberson wrote.

He wrote that the document guiding our country has been around since 1787 and that there have been minimal problems with it. "Our veterans and active military have fought day after day, year after year, to protect our rights. … Our military is the reason that our Constitution has been able to remain relevant for 225 years. … The United States could not keep the Constitution without the service of our military," he wrote.

Emberson, the Taft High Associated Student Body president, wrote the essay and recorded it for submission in the contest. It had be a minimum of three minutes. It was the first time he had entered an essay contest.

Born in Bakersfield, he has been raised in Taft. At Taft High, he has played basketball and baseball and is currently on the tennis team. He plans to attend Southeastern Oklahoma and major in occupational safety and health. His father, Russell Emberson, is a TUHS health teacher and coach of the perennially successful softball team.